Packaged door casing and pre-hung door



P 14, 1965 A. CHIMIENTI 3,205,982

PACKAGED DOOR CASING AND PRE -HUNG noon Filed Feb; 8, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 74 72 7s 78 so FIG. I

INVENTOR.

ANTHONY CHIMIENTI Y Attorney Sept. 14, 1965 A. CHIMIENT] PACKAGED DOOR CASING AND PRE-HUNG DOOR 2 Sheet s-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 8, 1963 mm Nb mm mm mm 00 mm vm mv vw ww O O INVENTOR.

ANTHONY CHIMIENTI @%%%4/ A Horney United States Patent 3,205,982 PACKAGED D0012 CASING AND FEE-HUNG DOOR Anthony Chimienti, Camp Hill, Pa., amignor to Capitol Products Corporation, Mechanicshurg, Pa, a corporation of Pennsylvania Filed Feb. 8, 1963, Ser. No. 257,252 3 Claims. (Cl. 189-46) This invention relates to prehung metal doors, particularly to aluminum combination storm and screen doors, wherein the door and door casing are preassembled for shipment and emplacement in a doorway opening as a unit.

An object of the invention is to provide an improved transportable preassembled door and door casing incorporating improved clip means for preventing relative movement between the door and door casing during shipment; wherein the pre-hung door and door casing may be in stalled as a unit in a doorway opening so that the door will hang true and square in the casing without relative shimming and adjusting of one with respect to the other; and wherein the clip means is inexpensive to manufacture and is adapted to be applied and removed from the door and door casing with a minimum of labor.

More specifically it is an object to provide an assembly of the above described type wherein holes in the door frame members for application of the clip means are eliminated, thereby preventing unsightly perforations in the door frame after installation and rendering it unnecessary to close by one means or another such unsightly perforations, and eliminating also the labor in volved in punching such holes and applying and removing screws prior to and after shipment of the unit.

These and other objects and advantages inherent in the invention and the manner in which they are realized will appear in the following description, which considered in connection with the accompanying drawings, set forth the preferred embodiment of the invention.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a view in front elevation of the improved pre-assembled door and door casing in readiness for shipment and emplacement as a unit;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged sectional view taken on line 2-2 of FIGURE 1, with elements defining the doorway opening, in which the door and door casing are emplaced, shown fragmentarily;

FIGURE 3 is a view in perspective of the novel clip means;

FIGURE 4 is a view taken on line 44 of FIGURE 2 showing the clip applied in working position to the outer end wall of the side frame members of the door;

FIGURE 5 is a view similar to the view shown in FIGURE 4 with the clip applied in inserting position to the outer end wall of the side frame member of the door, from which position it may be turned 90 into its working position;

FIGURE 6 is an enlarged view of the upper right hand corner portion of the door and door casing of FIGURE 1, with parts broken away showing the relation of one of the clips with respect to the corner gusset of the door frame; and

FIGURE 7 is a fragmentary sectional view similar to the right hand portion of FIGURE 2, showing a slightly modified form of the door frame and clip.

Referring to the drawings, a door casing is indicated as a whole by the reference numeral 10 and a combination storm and screen door arranged to be mounted in the door casing 10 is indicated as a whole by the reference numeral 12.

The door casing It includes upright side frame members 14 and 16, and a header member 18, all cut to suitable length from an aluminum or aluminum alloy extrusion so that their cross sectional configurations are identical in shape and size, The upper ends of side members 14 and 16 are joined to the opposite ends of header member 18 in any suitable conventional manner.

FIGURE 2 best shows the detailed construction of the casing upright side members 14 and 16, it being understood that the header member 18 is similar in construction. The casing side members 14 and 16 are provided with a flat web or jamb portion 20 which with the similar portion of header member 18 define an opening for receiving the door 12. One longitudinal edge of the flat web or jamb portion 26 is provided with a flange 22 projecting outwardly at right angles with respect to the plane of the flat web portion 20. The flanges 22 of the casing side members 14 and 16 and header 18 are adapted to overlie the studs 24 or other structure of the building defining an opening for receiving the door and door casing. The longitudinal edge of the Hat web or jamb portion 20 remote from the flange 22 is provided with a weather seal retaining flange 26 projecting inwardly at right angles with respect to the plane of the flat web portion 20 and against which the door 12 closes.

The door 12 includes a rectangular frame 28 comprising a horizontal top frame member 36, a horizontal bottom frame member 32, and a pair of oppositely disposed vertical side frame members 34 and 36, cut to suitable lengths from hollow aluminum of aluminum alloy extrusions. The frame members are preferably cut from similar extrusions so that their cross sectional configurations are identical in shape and size.

As shown in FIGURE 1, the lower portion of the door 12 is provided with a horizontal cross rail 38 spaced above the bottom frame member 32 and suitably joined at its ends to the side frame members 34 and 36. The space defined by cross rail 33, bottom frame members 32 and the lower portions of side frame members 34 and 36 is adapted to receive a kick plate 40. The portion of the door frame 28 above the cross rail 38 is preferably divided by a horizontal cross rail 42 suitably joined at its ends to the side frame members 34 and 36, and each of the openings so formed is adapted to alternatively receive a glazed sash insert 44 or a screen sash insert 46. However, for purpose of shipping the pre-hung door to the site of installation, both a glazed sash and a screen sash are disposed and retained in each of the openings, as hereinafter described and as shown in FIGURE 2.

As shown in FIGURE 2, the hollow side frame members 34 and 36 each includes an outside wall 48 and a parallel inside wall 50 integrally joined at their inner edges by an irregularly shaped inner end wall 52. In cross section, the inner end walls 52 include a planar wall section 54 disposed at right angles with respect to the plane of inside wall 50 and extending from the inner edge thereof toward but terminating short of outside wall 48. An inwardly projecting insert retaining abutment or shoulder 56 of the inner end wall 52 extends from the extended edge of the wall section 54 to the inner edge of the outside wall 48 and includes a planar wall section 58 disposed at right angles with respect to the plane of the wall section 54, and a contoured wall section 60 joining the inner edge of wall section 58 with the inner edge of outside wall 48. It will be understood that the top and bottom frame members 30 and 32 are similarly designed whereby the recess at the inside inner marginal edge of the door frame 28 formed by the wall sections 54 and 58 is adapted to receive the glazed or screen inserts 44 and 46 and the kick plate 40.

For purpose of shipment, both the glazed and screen inserts 44 and 46 may be retained in the recess defined Patented Sept. 14, I965- by the. inner wall sections 54 and d of the door side frame members 34 and 36 by means of offset flanged type clips 61, as best shown in FIGURE 2. When installing the door casing and prehung door 12, the glazed and screen inserts 44 and 46 are removed by detaching the clips 61, one leg of each of which is adjustably secured to the inside wall 50 of each of the door frame members 34 and 36. After installing the door casing 10 and prehung door 12, one or the other of the inserts 44 and 46 may be re-inserted and retained by turning the clips 61 over and adjusting them inwardly.

As best shown in FIGURES 2, 4 and 5, an outer end Wall 62 integrally joins the outer edges of outside and inside walls 48 and 51 of the door side frame members 36. End wall 62 is provided with a longitudinally extending undercut slot that is T-shaped in cross section including an inner slot 64 and a communicating slot 66 which opens through the outer side of the end wall 62. As clearly shown, the inner slot 64 is of substantially greater width than the outer slot 66. The outer end wall of the door top frame member is provided with similar slots, not shown, and the purpose of the T-shaped slotted outer end walls is hereinafter explained. The opposite side frame member 34 and the bottom frame member 32 are preferably provided with similarly configured outer end walls so that all of the frame members may be formed from the same extrusions, though in the case of the side frame member 34 and the bottom frame member 32, the T- shaped slots in their respective outer end walls are not functionally essential.

In pre-assembling the door 12 and door casing 16, one vertical side frame member of the door 12, in the present instance the side frame member 34, is hingedly connected to the adjacent upright side frame member 14 of the door casing 10. The hinge 70 may be a full length piano type hinge as shown, or any other suitable type of hinging means may be employed. As best shown in FIGURE 2, one leaf of the hinge 70 is secured to the jamb portion 20 of the casing side frame member 14, while the other leaf of the hinge 70 is secured to the outer end wall 62 of the door side frame member 34.

With the door side frame member 34 hingedly attached to the casing side frame member 14, as described above, relative movement therebetween except for swinging movement about the axis of the hinge is prevented. However, the opposite casing side frame member 16 is free to twist, rack or spread relative to the door side frame member 36 during handling, shipment and emplacement, so that the door will not hang true and square in thedoor casmg.

To obviate these objections, I provide the novel temporary clips 72, preferably formed of nylon or other suitable plastic in order to prevent marring of portions of the door frame and easing engaged by the clips 72. It is apparent however, that functionally other materials such as aluminum may be employed. The clips 72 cooperate with the door casing 10 and the door 12 to maintain them in relatively rigid relation one with the other during handling, shipment, and emplacement in a doorway opening, whereby upon emplacement the door 12 will hang true and square in the door casing 11). The cooperative relation of the clips 72 with the door frame member is such as to eliminate the use of screws or other means for fastening the clips to the door frame member, which is an important feature of the invention.

One of the clips 72 will now be described in detail, it being understood that all the clips 72 are identical in construction. The temporary clip 72, applied to the assembled door and door casing at the factory site, includes the planar legs 74 and 76 integrally joined along a common edge and disposed at right angles wtih respect to each other. In working position applied to the assembled door and door casing, as best shown in FIGURE 2, the leg 74 overlies the flange 22 of the casing side frame member 16, and the leg 76 extends between the jamb portion 20 of the casing side frame member 16 and the outer end wall 62 of the door side frame member 36. The face of the leg 76 confronting the outer end Wall 62 of the side frame member 36 is provided with a boss 78 adapted to project through the outer slot 66 of the outer end wall 62. At its free end, the boss '7 8 is provided with a locking member in the form of a generally oblong shaped flange 8t] disposed in spaced planar parallelism with respect to the leg 76 of the clip 72.

The shorter dimension of the generally oblong shaped flange 89 is slightly less than the width of the outer slot 66 of the door frame outer end wall 62 so that it will pass therethrough upon applying the clip to the door frame outer end wall in inserting position, as best shown in FIGURE 5,. The overall longer dimension of the generally oblong shaped flange 80 is as closely equal as possible to the width of the inner slot 64 of the door frame outer end wall 62, and its thickness is closely equal to the depth of the inner slot 64-, so that in working position, as shown in FIGURES 2 and 4, it will snugly fit the inner slot 64. In order to permit turning of the clip 72 from its inserted position, as in FIGURE 5, through 90 to its working position, as in FIGURE 4, one pair of diagonally opposite corners of the flange 80 are formed as arcs of a circle described from the axis of the boss 78 and having a diameter as nearly equal as possible to the width of the inner slot 64. The arcs extend from the midpoints of the shorter edges of the flange 3t) to a point of intersection with a respective longer edge of the flange 80.

It will now be seen that with the door 12 swung partly open from the door casing 10 about hinged connection 70, the clip 72 may be applied to the door frame outer end Wall 62, as shown in FIGURE 5 and as described above. The clip 72 may now be turned through 90, so that the straight portions of the shorter edges of the flange 80 engage the opposite lateral edges of the door frame outer end wall 62 that define the inner slot 64, as shown in FIGURE 4. Now, upon closing the door so that the leg 74 of the clip 72 overlies the flange 22 of the casing side frame member 16, a self tapping screw 82, extending through a prepunched hole 84 in the leg 74 of the clip 72 and one of the pre-punched holes 86 in the casing flange 22, is employed to secure the clip 72 to the casing side frame member 16. As previously stated, several of such clip arrangements may be spaced along and applied in similar manner to the casing side frame member 16 and the door side frame member 36. One or more such clips may also be applied in similar manner to casing header member 18 and the door top frame member 30.

With the clips 72 applied as above described in their working position, it will be seen that the snug engagement of the generally oblong shaped flange 80 of the clips in the inner slot 64 of the door side frame member 36, prevents lateral spreading of the casing side frame member 16 with respect to the door side frame member 36, it further prevents swinging movement of the casing side frame member 16 fore and aft with respect'to the plane of the door 12, as well as any substantial relative longitudinal movement between the casing side frame member 16 with respect to the door side frame member 36. The possibility of any such relative longitudinal movement is entirely eliminated by the clip 72'applied to the casing header member 18 and the door top frame member 30.

At the site of installation, the sash securing clips 61 are removed, whereupon the glazed and screen sashes 44 and 46 are lifted from the door frame 28. The pre-assembled door and casing is now installed in the doorway Opening and installation screws (not shown) are inserted in the pre-punched holes 86, except of course those prepunched holes in which the clips 72 are secured, and are screwed into the stud 24 or other structure defining the doorway opening. Similar installation screws are inserted in the pre-punched holes 86 in the casing side frame member 14 and header member 18 and screwed into the doorway opening framing structure. Clips 72 are then removed by unscrewing the self tapping screws 82, after which installation screws may be substituted and screwed into the doorway opening framing structure.

Referring particularly to FIGURE 6, wherein a corner gusset 88 is employed in conventional manner at the miter joined adjacent ends of the door frame members for purpose of reinforcing the door, a clip 72 may be applied so that in its working position, the flange 80 engages underneath the head of a screw 90 that secures the gusset 88 to the door frame member 36, whereby to further insure against any possible sagging of the door in the door casing.

FIGURE 7 shows a slightly modified form of the invention, parts similar to the first form of the invention being identified by similar reference characters. In this form of the invention the end wall 62 of the door side frame member 36 is provided with an aperture 92 adapted to snugly receive a boss 94 formed with and extending outwardly of the locking flange 80 of the clip 72.

I claim:

1. In a pre-assembled door and casing, said casing having side and top frame members including jamb portions which in the assembled door and casing extend along the side end faces and top end face of said door and including flanges extending laterally outward of the plane of said jamb portions, means hingedly securing one side end face of said door to one casing side frame member, the end faces of said door confronting the jamb portions of the other casing side frame member and the top frame member having formed therein longitudinally extending outwardly opening undercut T-shaped slots, L-shaped clip means retaining the assembled door and casing in fixed relation with respect to each other, said clip means including planar legs joined along a common edge, a T- shaped locking member formed integrally with and extending outwardly of one of said planar legs, the stern portion of said T-shaped locking member being formed as a boss extending in an axially normal direction from the outer face of one of said planar legs, said boss being dimensioned to be insertable through and rotatable in the entrant portion of said undercut T-shaped slot, the cross portion of said T-shaped locking member being formed as a planar oblong shaped flange on the outer end of said boss disposed in a plane parallel with respect to the plane of said one clip leg, the shorter dimension of said oblong shaped flange being less than the width of the entrant portion of said undercut T-shaped slot, for insertion of said flange therethrough, the overall longer dimension of said flange being equal to the Width of said undercut T-shaped slot, the diagonally opposite corner portions of said flanges being formed on a radius such that said clip means is turnable through 90 to effect engagement of the lengthwise ends of said flange with the side walls defining the undercut portion of said T-shaped slot for orienting said clip means so that the other leg of said clip means in said turned position of said clip means is disposed in planar overlying engagement with said casing frame flange, and means cooperating with said other leg securing said clip means to said casing frame member flange.

2. A pre-assembled door and casing as set forth in claim 1, wherein the diagonally opposite corners of said oblong locking flange are formed on radii substantially equal to one-half the width of the inner portion of said T-shaped slot, whereby said clip means is rotatable from its inserting position through 90 to its locking position.

3. A pre-assembled door and casing as set forth in claim 1, wherein the thickness of said oblong locking flange is substantially equal to the depth of the inner portion of said T-shaped slot, whereby to inhibit relative spreading movement between said door and casing frame members.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,849,811 3/32 Smiley 18934 2,818,145 12/57 Bragman et al 189-46 2,826,388 3/58 Janos et al. 24-221 2,859,710 11/58 Elsner 24-221 X 2,917,790 12/59 Espenschied 20-11 X FOREIGN PATENTS 611,398 12/60 Canada.

HARRISON R. MOSELEY, Primary Examiner. 

1. IN A PRE-ASSEMBLED DOOR AND CASING, SAID CASING HAVING SIDE AND TOP FRAME MEMBERS INCLUDING JAMB PORTIONS WHICH IN THE ASSEMBLED DOOR AND CASING EXTEND ALONG THE SIDE END FACES AND TOP END FACE OF SAID DOOR AND INCLUDING FLANGES EXTENDING LATERALLY OUTWARD OF THE PLANE OF SAID JAMB PORTIONS, MEANS HINGEDLY SECURING ONE SIDE END FACE OF SAID DOOR TO ONE CASING SIDE FRAME MEMBER, THE END FACES OF SAID DOOR CONFRONTING THE JAMB PORTIONS OF THE OTHER CASING SIDE FRAME MEMBER AND THE TOP FRAME MEMBER HAVING FORMED THEREIN LONGITUDINALLY EXTENDING OUTWARDLY OPENING UNDERCUT T-SHAPED SLOTS, L-SHAPED CLIP MEANS RETAINING THE ASSEMBLED DOOR AND CASING IN FIXED RELATION WITH RESPECT TO EACH OTHER, SAID CLIP MEANS INCUDING PLANAR LEGS JOINED ALONG A COMMON EDGE, A TSHAPED LOCKING MEMBER FORMED INTEGRALLY WITH AND EXTENDING OUTWARDLY OF ONE OF SAID PLANAR LEGS, THE STEM PORTION OF SAID T-SHAPED LOCKING MEMBER BEING FORMED AS A BOSS EXTENDING IN AN AXIALLY NORMAL DIRECTION FROM THE OUTER FACE OF ONE OF SAID PLANAR LEGS, SAID BOSS BEING DIMENSIONED TO BE INSERTABLE THROUGH AND ROTATABLE IN THE ENTRANT PORTION OF SAID UNDERCUT T-SHAPED SLOT, THE CROSS PORTION OF SAID T-SHAPED LOCKING MEMBER BEING FORMED AS A PLANAR OBLONG SHAPED FLANGE ON THE OUTER END OF SAID BOSS DISPOSED IN A PLANE PARALLEL WITH RESPECT TO THE PLANE OF SAID ONE CLIP LEG, THE SHORTER DIMENSION OF SAID OBLONG SHAPED FLANGE BEING LESS THAN THE WIDTH OF THE ENTRANT PORTION OF SAID UNDERCUT T-SHAPED SLOT, FOR INSERTION OF SAID FLANGE THERETHROUGH, THE OVERALL LONGER DIMENSION OF SAID FLANGE BEING EQUAL TO THE WIDTH OF SAID UNDERCUT T-SHAPED SLOT, THE DIAGONALLY OPPOSITE CORNER PORTIONS OF SAID FLANGES BEING FORMED ON A RADIUS SUCH THAT SAID CLIP MEANS IS TURNABLE THROUGH 90* TO EFFECT ENGAGEMENT OF THE LENGTHWISE END OF SAID FLANGE WITH THE SIDE WALLS DEFINING THE UNDERCUT PORTION OF SAID T-SHAPED SLOT FOR ORIENTING SAID CLIP MEANS SO THAT THE OTHER LEG OF SAID CLIP MEANS IN SAID TURNED POSITION OF SAID CLIP MEANS IS DISPOSED IN PLANAR OVERLYING ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID CASING FRAME FLANGE, AND MEANS COOPERATING WITH SAID OTHER LEG SECURING SAID CLIP MEANS TO SAID CASING FRAME MEMBER FLANGE. 